Aug 1, 2004 12:00 PM

The Finland-based company Kemira Oyj has developed a new solution for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by motor vehicles, especially heavy vehicles. This new product, Denoxium, is being tested in collaboration with Ecocat Oy, Technical Research Centre of Finland VTT, and TEKES.

Kemira has already demonstrated its ammonium formate-based Denoxium concept to vehicle manufacturers in Europe, and the company says the reception has been enthusiastic.

So far, exhaust gas catalyzers have concentrated on systems in which reduction of exhaust gases has used a urea solution. However, this selective catalytic reduction technology has a weakness: it will freeze in a cold climate.

The — 11 degrees C freezing point of the urea-and-water solution makes handling, transportation, storage, and use difficult in cold climates. Various heating methods have the effect of raising costs associated with this solution. Moreover, the reduction capacity of nitrogen oxides in urea is low in both low- and high-exhaust gas temperatures.

Denoxium is an ammonium formate-based system obtained by refining formic acid. According to VTT research, this solution functions better than urea-and-water in both low- and high-exhaust gas temperatures. It is also compatible with urea solutions and causes hardly any impact on the environment.